Cigar ash catcher

ABSTRACT

An ash receiver secureable over a lighted end of a cigar so to prevent scattering ashes and confining the flames, the device comprising a tubular enclosure including a cylindrical side wall and circular end wall, the circular end wall being integral with said cylindrical side wall and made perferably of plastic material, the opposite end of the device receiving the end of the cigar, and the sleeve tubular portion thereof having perforations therethrough so to allow access of air to the flame, the circular end wall being fitted with a magnifying lens so that light rays from the lighted end of the cigar are concentrated through the lens so that the device forms a miniature flashlight such as for illuminating a keyhole in a darkness.

United States Patent 11- 1 Bell 51 Oct. 16, 1973 [54] CIGAR ASH CATCHER 1,956,892 5/1934 Call 131/175 [76] Inventor ii gs' g l :ZZL Primary ExaminerJoseph S. Reich [22] Filed: Dec. 17, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [211 App]. No; 209,122 An ash receiver secureable over a lighted end of a cigar so to prevent scattermg ashes and confining the flames, the device comprising a tubular enclosure in- U-S- CL a cylindrical ide wall and circular end wall CL A241 13/12, A241 13/16 the circular end wall being integral with said cy1indri-,

of Search 1 2, cal side wall and made perfe ably of plastic material 131/173, 174, 175, 178 v the opposite end of the device receiving the end of the cigar, and the sleeve tubular portion thereof having References Cited perforations therethrough so to allow access of air to UNITED STATES PATENTS the flame, the circular end wal1 being fitted with a 1,951,097 3/1934 Lyeso 131/178 ux magnifying lens that light rays the lighted and 2,646,051 7/1953 Lyeso 131/178 of the cigar are concentrated through the lens so that 886,352 5/1908 Cunnington 131/ 174 the device forms a miniature flashlight such as for illu- 954,060 4/1910 Taliaferroet al...... 131/174 minating a keyhole in a darkness. 1,250,877 12/1917 Higham 131/174 1,211,071 1/1917 Brown 131/174 1 Clam" 3 Drawmg 1,388,222 8/1921 Vakilian 131/175 CIGAR ASH CATCHER This invention relates generally to cigar ash receivers.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an ash receiver which is attachable over a lighted end of a cigar so that it may be readily transported therewith while the cigar is being smoked, the ash receiver catching the ashes from the cigar during the burning thereof, and thus preventing the ashes from being scattered about upon a persons clothing, a carpet or other object in a home.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cigar ash catcher which thus confines the flame burning on the end of the cigar and thus preventing the same from being a fire hazard, it being well known that many fires are caused by smokers falling asleep while smoking and the flame catching adjacent objects upon fire.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cigar ash catcher which is comprised of a single part that can be quickly inserted upon or removed from a cigar.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a cigar ash' catcher which issimple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawingwherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a side cross sectional view thereof taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, and showing the device in operative use, and

FlG. 3 is a side elevational view of a modified design of the invention which has perforated openings only on one side thereof so that when the cigar is rested on a table or other surface, the unperforated side prevents any ash dust from falling out of the device.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral represents a cigar ash catcher according to the present invention wherein there is a one piece member 11 made preferably of thin plastic material, or which alternately maybe made of any thin metal or other material that is impervious to heat and flame.

The member 11 is of generally elongated configuration and includes a generally cylindrical side wall 12 which at one end is bounded by a generally circular end wall 13, the opposite end of the cylindrical side wall being formed into a constricting collar 14 which is frictionally fitted around the cigar 15.

The cylindrical side wall 12 and the end wall 13 form a central enclosure 16 therewithin and within which falling ashes 17 formed on the end of a lighted end of the cigar can be confined within the central compartment. A plurality of small perforations 18 are made through the cylindrical side wall 12 so as to provide access for fresh air to a flame burning on the end of the cigar.

The collar 14 is comprised by means of a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 19 which thus divide the collar 14 into a plurality of extending tabs 20, a central portion 21 of each tab being brought radially inwardly so that it frictionally engages the side of the cigar 15. The terminal end 22 of each tab 20 is outwardly flared so as to easily locate and fit the end of the cigar. into the collar when placing the cigar ash catcher upon the cigar.

ln operative use, it is now evident that the cigar ash catcher can be placed upon the end of the cigar after the cigar has been lighted. The person may then puff upon the cigar in a normal manner causing air to the flame being admitted through the perforations 18. After the cigar has been smoked, the cigar ash catcher is simply made to slide off the cigar butt and the cigar ash catcher can then be cleaned of ashes and retained for attachment to another cigar for subsequent use. It is evident that the device comprises a relatively small, light weight object that can be conveniently carried in a persons pocket or be always handy for use where it is particularly objectionable that ashes fall upon a floor or wherein there is a danger of a lighted flame causing a conflagration. Thus a safety device is provided for a cigar smoker. in order to dispense the cigar ash 17 from the device it'is only necessary to tip over the cigar ash catcher and allow the ashes to drop out from the large collar opening. The perforation 18'are too-small to permit the ashes 17 to accidently drop outward there through.

Referring now to FIG. 3 of the drawing, there is shown a slightly modified form of the invention wherein the cigar ash catcher 23 instead of being made only in one part is made of two longitudinally extending halves, only one of which incorporates the end wall 13, the other of the halves being provided with the perforations'18 whereas the other half does not include the perforations. The halves are attached pivotally free together by means ofa hinge 24 that is spring loaded and which normally retains the members in frictional fit around the cigar 15. In this form of the invention in order to clean out the interior 16 of the catcher, the members may be hingedly opened up so to permit access for cleaning. In this form of the invention also the member provided without the perforations 18 can serve as a lower member when the cigar is rested upon a supporting surface 25 as shown in FIG. 3 so that absolutely no minute ash particles can thus fall outward and which otherwise would be very noticeable particularly when rested upon any shining polished table or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the end wall 13 of the catcher is fitted with a magnifying lens 26 so that the device maybe used as a miniature flashlight in the dark for finding a keyhole or the like and wherein accordingly when a person puffs on the cigar, the light rays from the lighted end are concentrated through the lens so to provide a sufficient light for locating the keyhole or the like.

In a still further modified design of theinvention, also not shown in the drawing, the cigar ash catcher may ad-' ditionally incorporate a self extinguishing feature which consists of a freely rotatable sleeve around the outer side of the side wall '12, the sleeve being likewise incorporated with perforations which can align with the perforations 18 so to permit the flame to gain fresh air there to. However when it is desired to extinguish the cigar flame, a person needs only to give a slight rotation to the sleeve thus disaligning the perforated openings and thus causing the flame to be smothered due to lack of oxygen gaining access to the interior 16. Thus a modified form has been provided.

What I now claim is:

1. In a cigar ash catcher, the combination of a one piece member, said one piece member comprising a shell formed of relatively thin, light weight material, said one piece member including a central compartment within which cigar ashes may be collected, said member comprising an'elongated member receivable over the lighted end of said cigar and which permits smoking of said cigar while retaining the cigar flame and said ash of said cigar within said member, said one piece member being of generally cylindrical configuration and including a cylindrical side wall which is bounded at one end by a generally circular end wall, the opposite end of said cylindrical side wall having a constricting collar for frictional engagement of said cigar, said cylindrical side wall and said circular end wall enclosing said compartment for receiving said ash, and said cylindrical side wall having a plurality of perforations therethrough so as to admit air for access to said 'flame, said collar including means providing a plurality of longitudinal extending slots, said slot means dividing said collar into a plurality of longitudinally extending tabs, each said tab having a central intermediate portion thereof for frictional abuttment alongside said cigar, said intermediate portions being parallel to each other, and a terminal portion of each of said tabs being outwardly flared so as to easily locate and fit said ash catcher on said cigar when introducing the lighted end thereof into said compartment, and said circular end wall being fitted with a magnifying lens so that said cigar ash catcher may be used as a miniature flashlight in the dark for finding a keyhole or the like and wherein accordingly when a person puffs on the cigar, the light rays from the lighted end are concentrated through said lens. 

1. In a cigar ash catcher, the combination of a one piece member, said one piece member comprising a shell formed of relAtively thin, light weight material, said one piece member including a central compartment within which cigar ashes may be collected, said member comprising an elongated member receivable over the lighted end of said cigar and which permits smoking of said cigar while retaining the cigar flame and said ash of said cigar within said member, said one piece member being of generally cylindrical configuration and including a cylindrical side wall which is bounded at one end by a generally circular end wall, the opposite end of said cylindrical side wall having a constricting collar for frictional engagement of said cigar, said cylindrical side wall and said circular end wall enclosing said compartment for receiving said ash, and said cylindrical side wall having a plurality of perforations therethrough so as to admit air for access to said flame, said collar including means providing a plurality of longitudinal extending slots, said slot means dividing said collar into a plurality of longitudinally extending tabs, each said tab having a central intermediate portion thereof for frictional abuttment alongside said cigar, said intermediate portions being parallel to each other, and a terminal portion of each of said tabs being outwardly flared so as to easily locate and fit said ash catcher on said cigar when introducing the lighted end thereof into said compartment, and said circular end wall being fitted with a magnifying lens so that said cigar ash catcher may be used as a miniature flashlight in the dark for finding a keyhole or the like and wherein accordingly when a person puffs on the cigar, the light rays from the lighted end are concentrated through said lens. 